Refrigerator car



2 Sheets-Sheet l V. E. WEST REFRIGERATOR CAR Filed April 14 Ww. h,...

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oct. 2s, 1941.

Oct. 28, 1941. v. E. wl-:s'r

REFRIGERATORt CAR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 14, 1939 Patented Oct. 28, 1941 REFRIGERATOR CAR Victor E. West, New Kensington, Pa., assigner to Standard Railway Devices Company, a corporation of Delaware Application April 14, 1939, Serial No. 267,788

13 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in construction of refrigerator cars having refrigerant containers positioned above the lading space.

Refrigerant containers in cars of this, the socalled top bunker, type are commonly fabricated from sheet metal and supported on carlines. In order to prevent excessive sag in the container bottom, due to the weight of the refrigerant conn tained therein, it is desirable to provide stiffening means for the container bottom. In the past this has been accomplished either by corrugating the container bottom from end to end or by welding stiiening members lengthwise on the underside of the container bottom. These methods have certain disadvantages: Continuous lengthwise corrugations in the container bottom trap liquids and prevent complete drainage of the container; stifening members welded to the underside of the container bottom obstruct the now of air along the surface of the container and if continuous lengthwise prevent seating the container solidly on the carlines.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide stiffening means, for a refrigerant container bottom, that will permit complete drainage of liquids from the container. I accomplish this by corrugating the container bottom, the corrugations being shorter than the length of the container and preferably positioned obliquely to the walls of the container so that liquid on the container bottom will now around the ends of the several corrugations and escape through a suitable orifice provided for this purpose.

Another object of my invention is to arrange stiffening corrugations shorter than the container length so that the container bottom acting as a beam spanning a space between carlines will have substantially the same strength as with continuous corrugations the full length of the container bottom. I accomplish this by positioning the corrugations in a staggered relationship with the end portions thereof overlapping each other.

Another object of my invention is to provide stiffening means for the bottom of a refrigerant container and avoid any interference between the stiffening means and the supporting carlines. I accomplish this by upwardly embossing thc corrugations in the container bottom.

Another object of my invention is to form the container supporting carlines so that a watertight enclosure may be constructed around the container. Moisture condenses on and drips from containers; containers are often partially foraminous for more efficient cooling or for ven- 55` tilaton; to prevent this moisture falling on the lading it is necessary to provide a drip pan under the container, which drip pan is provided with an upstanding marginal partition. An object of the invention is to form an upwardly offset portion of the carline, thereby eliminating the necessity of puncturing the partition. A further object is to secure said oiset portion to the roof of the car, thereby providing a more rigid structure.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a sectional view through a refrigerator car showing a refrigerant container and supporting carlines.

Fig. 2 is a plan view taken on the plane of line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3-5 inclusive are diagrams showing modifications in the arrangement of container bottom corrugations.

The refrigerator car shown comprises a roof 2, side walls 3, oor 4, hatches 5, refrigerant containers 6 below the hatches, carlines 1 for supporting the containers, drip pans 8, upstanding partitions 9, passages l0, side wall flues Il, floor racks I2 and spaces I3 below the floor racks.

The partition 9 serves a dual purpose. Since air circulation in a car of this type depends upon natural convection, i. e., due to the difference in air density at different temperatures, itis essential that the intake for warm air be at a higher elevation than the outlet for cold air. Air flows from the lading compartment i9 through the duct 20 and over the partition 9. Upon being cooled, the air iiows downwardly through the flues Il. The other function of the partition 9 is to protect the lading from moisture,r which moisture may result from condensation on the container 6 or by splashing through apertures sometimes provided in the container. To protect the lading from moisture, the joint between the partition 9 and drip pan 8 must be watertight.

Cars of this type have heretofore embodied substantially straight carlines which necessitate puncturing the partition 9 with a consequent danger of leakage. I provide upwardly offset portions 25 in the carlines 1, which portions are preferably secured to the roof 2, as by the rivets 26. This construction permits an uninterrupted joint between the drip pan 8 and partition 9 and also a more rigid structure due to the securingk of the carline 'l to the roof.

The container 6 is preferably supported by a plurality of spaced'apart carlines 1 as shown in Fig. 2. The walls of the container are indi-` cated by (35). The bottom 36 of the container slopes downwardly toward the wall 3. An orifice 38, which ymay -be provided with -any suitable type of valve, is disposed in the bottom 36 of the container at the lowermost edge thereof. The bottom of the container is provided with stiifening means which may be corrugations pressed therein or rib-like members secured thereto. The stiiening means renders the container bottom more rigid over the span `between carlines 1 and are arranged to Ipermit complete draining of the .container as will be hereinafter described.

Fig. 2 shows a plurality of corrugations 45 positioned in staggered relationship with the end portions thereof 46 overlapping. As heretofore stated, the container bottom 36 slopes downwardly toward the orifice 38. The corrugations 45 are obliquely disposed so that liquid trapped thereabove flows along the upper ed-ge thereof 41 to the end 49. It thereupon follows a zigzag course aroundthe ends 49 of thel successive corrugations 45 until it reaches the orifice 38. It is to vbe noted' that liquid in any part of the container follows a substantially similarV course to the orifice 38 and that every part of the container has access to the orifice 38. It is also to be vnoted that the corrugations 45 extend effectively across the bottom of the container, the overlapping feature presenting all the advantages of continuous corrugations and eliminating the disadvantages.

Fig. 3 shows a modification involving three separate series 58, 59, 66 of overlapping corrugations 6l. The corrugations 62 comprising the central series are pitched downwardly from their centers 63. It is to be noted that a liquid drains downwardly toward the orifice 65 inv a manner substantially similar toithat described in reference to Fig. 2.

Figs. 4 and 5 show two other modications of my invention involving a plurality of staggered corrugations having their end portions overlapping to provide effectively a continuous corrugation and to permit drainage ofliquid from the container to the orifices '10.

In the modification shown in Fig. 2, the overlapping end portions 46 of the corrugations 45 are positioned between carlines 'l while in Fig. the overlapping end portions l are positioned substantially above the carlines 1. The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of `construction shown and described, as it is obvious` that various Inodications thereof, within the scope of the claims,` will occur'to persons skilled in the art.

I claim: y

1. In a refrigerator having spaced apart walls and a roof extending therebetween, the combination of spaced apart refrigerant containers below said roof, supporting carlines for said containers extending between said walls, a drip pan below each of said containers under said carlines, said carlines having upwardly offset portions between said containers and spaced apart partitions upstanding from the adjacent edges of said drip pans and positionedv below said offset portions thereby providing an uninterrupted joint between said drip pans and said partitions.

2. In a refrigerator having'spaced apart walls and a roof extending therebetween, the combination 'of spaced apart refrigerant containers below said roof, subjacent supporting carlines for said containers extending between said walls, a drip pan below each of said containers under said carlines, yand spaced apart upstanding partitions on the adjacent edges of said drip-pans, said carlines having upwardly offset portions between said containers thereby providing an uninterrupted joint between said drip pans and said partitions, said y-upwardly offset portion being secured to said roof.

3. A refrigerant container for use in a refrigerator car, said container having means arranged to drain liquid therefrom, the bottom of said container being provided with stiifening ribs disposed in staggered relation with the end p0rtions thereof overlapping, said means being disposed adjacent said end portions.

4. vA refrigerant container for use in a refrigerator car, said container having means arranged to drain liquid therefrom, the bottom of said container being provided with stiffeningv ribs parallelly arranged in a plurality of substantially parallel series positioned in staggered'interlocking relation. Y

5. A refrigerant container for use in a refrigerator car, said container having means arranged to drain liquid therefrom, the bottom of said container being provided with stilening ribs disposed in staggered relation with the end portions thereof overlapping.

6. A refrigerant `container for use in a refrigerator car, said container having an inclined bottom, means arranged to drain liquid from the container, said bottomy being provided with stiffeningr ribs disposed in staggered relation with the end portions thereof overlapping, said ribs being inclined downwardly toward said means.

7. A refrigerant container yfor use in a refrigerator car, said container having means arranged to drain liquid therefrom, stiiening ribs in the bottom of said container and other stiffening ribs in said bottom in unaligned relation with the first mentioned ribs and with the end portions thereof overlapping.

8. Ina refrigerator car havinga ywall and a roof, a refrigerant container below said roof and adjacent said wall, a carline arranged to support said container, an end portion of said carline being secured to said wall and a part of said carline remote from said wall beingoiset upwardly, a drip pan below said container and a substantially vertical partition disposed at least partially below said offset part, said drip pan and partition being arranged to form a substantially uninterrupted joint.

, 9. In a refrigerator lcar having a wall and a roof, a refrigerant container below the roof, `a carline, having one end supported by said wall, said carline arranged to lsupport said container andhaving a part remote from the wall disposed above the general level of the carline and arranged to face -concave downwardly, a drip pan below said container, and a partition upstanding from said drip pan and projecting upwardly at least partially above the general level of the carline and below said concave part to form one side of a duct which conducts air to said container.

l0. In a refrigerator car spaced apart carlines and a refrigerant container resting upon and supported by said carlines, the bottom of said container `being provided ,with a plurality of stiffening ribs arranged in staggered relation with the end portionsl thereof overlapping, said overlapping end portions .being positioned substantially above one of said carlines.

erator car having its bottom provided with a 10 plurality of stiffening ribs arranged in staggered relation with the end portions thereof overlappmg.

13. A refrigerant container .for use in a refrigerator car having its bottom provided with `a plurality of upwardly embossed stiiening corru gations arranged in staggered relation with the end portions thereof overlapping.

VICTOR E. WEST. 

